Minister Kouchner gave a one-hour Distinguished Lecture at the Graduate School of International Studies to a room full of reporters and students, both Korean and foreign, who were eager to hear the minister's take on how to resolve the current global crisis through regional and international cooperation. He began by addressing the issue of the changing world environment and stressed that as the hosts of the G-20 in 2010 and 2011 respectively, Korea and France should develop an effective and thorough alliance to successfully overcome the current shadows of terror, crime, and poverty that inevitably follow advancements in technology and globalization.
Minister Kouchner is not only a politician but also a doctor who founded the international organization Doctors Without Borders. Perhaps because of his own diverse background, he told the audience that he felt the world was excessively focusing on the economy when the crisis at hand was actually an even more complex one- an energy crisis, a terror crisis, and other more specific crises rolled into one.
Addressing SNU students as the future elite of Korea, he urged them to excel in every possible academic field to contribute to resolving global issues. Minister Kouchner called upon SNU students to recognize that the problems of today cannot be eradicated without a new type of alliance and appreciation for cooperation, as well as multidisciplinary integration of knowledge and skills.
The lecture was met with enthusiasm. SEO Jeong-hyeon (Dept. of International Relations, '03) said,"It was
amazing to hear a lecture directly from such an important international figure. I think that these types of lectures help SNU students widen their perspective to become globally conscious leaders." International students also found the experience enlightening. Marion Deprez (College of Social Sciences) commented,"I'm French, but it was the first time I was able to personally see Minister Kouchner. It was interesting because the lecture was so different from what he would have said in France. It focused specifically on the relationship between France and Korea."Other students who had heard the lecture all praised the experience, noting particularly that Minister Kouchner's lecture was more specific and detailed than usually expected of guest speakers. His lecture was not a series of sound bites, but a precise prescription of what SNU students should aim for as leaders of tomorrow. As SNU President LEE Jang-moo stated in his welcome speech, Minister Kouchner will undoubtedly be"an unforgettable role model for SNU students who dream of becoming world leaders."
S.E.M. Bernard Kouchner is France's current Minister of Foreign and European Affairs. He has served in various offices throughout the French government and the U.N. advising on health and medical issues, and has also been an active participant of various non-governmental and volunteer organizations.
Mar 24, 2010
Written by PIA Won SNU English Editor (SEE),
SNU PR Office